Preview — River Marked
by Patricia Briggs

River Marked

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. And she's never known any others of her kind. Until now. As Mercy comes to terms with this new information, an evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River. Something deadly is coming, facts are thin on the ground and Mercy feels ill at ease.

KenNot sure that is the question I want answered. I want to know if Patricia will outlive me. I need a steady diet of her books until I kick off this…moreNot sure that is the question I want answered. I want to know if Patricia will outlive me. I need a steady diet of her books until I kick off this mortal coil.(less)

This question contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Wow... am I the only one that loves Coyote and would love to see him pop up all the time... the daddy denial and finding out that she wont age like a human in Night broken... it would be great to see more of that... maybe even have her pop out a litter, and Coyote be like, 'huh... that's never happened... four babes at once...' ... what would everyone else love to see happen one day??? (hide spoiler)]

I had not read any blurbs or spoilers for this book before I started it and let me tell you how surprised I was at the first few chapters in this one. Yes, it tells the big surprise on the inside of the jacket cover – but since I am posting this review before release date, I don’t feel comfortable talking about it. So I’m not going to talk a lot about the plot. But I will tell you this.

I read this series for two rFavorite Quote: Adam didn’t approve of Walmart.

Note: This is a spoiler-free review!

I had not read any blurbs or spoilers for this book before I started it and let me tell you how surprised I was at the first few chapters in this one. Yes, it tells the big surprise on the inside of the jacket cover – but since I am posting this review before release date, I don’t feel comfortable talking about it. So I’m not going to talk a lot about the plot. But I will tell you this.

I read this series for two reasons. One, I adore Mercy and Adam. Both separate and together. Mercy is such a strong, level-headed heroine who can claim her independence while surrounded by pack, vampires etc, yet she is so polite and warm. And Adam – well – he fulfills all my dirty needs when it comes to an alpha male. In River Marked we get a lot of Adam and Mercy. And by that I mean, almost the entire book is the two of them together. I was shocked, and I loved every second of it. We get a very intimate glimpse into their relationship. We see another side of Adam, and wow. What a sweetie. I love him even more.

“No ma’am,” he drawled mildly, though I could see a dimple peeping out. I loved his dimple – and I loved it even more when he dropped into the accent of his youth. I especially loved the warm strength of him against me. I was so easy.

We also learn a lot about what Mercy is. Her heritage is presented in much detail. At times I found these parts to be very slow. There is a point towards the middle that the pacing slows down so much I got worried for the rest of the book. But then something big happens and the rest finished quite nicely.

The second reason I read this series is for the amazing intricacies of pack life Patricia Briggs has created. I love her wolves, and their politics. How they live so closely as pack, yet are always on the verge of violence. I adore their dynamics and how Mercy has come to fit in. But – we don’t get that in this book. Adam and Mercy are removed from pack (or as much as they can be) in this one. I miss that. I know I sound greedy because we do get awesome Adam and Mercy stuff, but I will be looking forward getting back to pack life hopefully in the next one.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Like I said, we see a side of Adam that made me smile. Don't worry, he totally loses it a few times and his alpha, growly, wolf takes over. But it is a very romantic, quieter side we see.

He smiled at me. “Go to sleep.” I waited three seconds. “Are we there yet?” His smile widened, and the last of the usual tension melted from his face. For a smile like that I’d….do anything.

The mystery and conflict are interwoven into Mercy’s ancestry and I think this look at who Mercy is and where she comes from really makes you understand Mercy better.

This book is definitely one of the more romance oriented books in the series. While I don’t think a sex scene in every book is necessary for this series, I do think this book really could have benefited from at least one. You can think me shallow for saying that – but once you read this book you might understand why I say that.

Patricia Briggs continues to write one of the best written urban fantasy series out there. If you don’t read this series, pick up Moon Called immediately. You will not be disappointed.

Still loving this series! (view spoiler)[I'm a bit disappointed the actual wedding ceremony wasn't detailed beyond the set up and reception. Also I would have liked more details on the first night of the honeymoon ;) (hide spoiler)] Another fun and fast read!

River Marked is a good book. There's not really any reason to think otherwise.

It follows on faithfully the tale of Mercedes Thompson through her marriage and honeymoon. Fans of the series might be very relieved that this book's mystery doesn't deal with fae, vampire or pack issues unlike previous books.

After a lovely wedding, Mercy and Adam head off on their romantic and sex fueled honeymoon. The book is very light on any sexual descriptions, possably causing a number of frustrated groans from fRiver Marked is a good book. There's not really any reason to think otherwise.

It follows on faithfully the tale of Mercedes Thompson through her marriage and honeymoon. Fans of the series might be very relieved that this book's mystery doesn't deal with fae, vampire or pack issues unlike previous books.

After a lovely wedding, Mercy and Adam head off on their romantic and sex fueled honeymoon. The book is very light on any sexual descriptions, possably causing a number of frustrated groans from fans as they read. When a man is found in a boat with a bitten-off leg and his sister missing, things start to get interesting. This probably proves that either the universe hates Mercy or that she is on a one-coyote mission to prove that werewolves CAN age by giving Adam Hauptman prematurely gray hair.

Briggs has been suspiciously closed lipped on my query emails about whether it is the latter.

Nevertheless, Mercy has her opportunity to scare the shit out of Adam who should really know by now that she is not a normal woman but a super-powered space robot which is impervious to death.

Actually, this novel addresses and finally resolves one of Mercy's big mysteries about herself and her past and it is done with such a lovely flare of American mythology that I found myself really enjoying the story and characters. Though we are missing most of the usual cast apart from brief appearances, the stand-in cast is funny and very likable.

But the book left me pondering a single question. How much more does the Mercedes Thompson series have in it?

A quick google search says it's a seven book deal, but what more does this story REALLY have to offer?

Well, the first six books HAVE been painfully void of evil squirrels so I guess it's their turn next...

I'm glad that there's only one more book in this series. I enjoy the Thompson world, and I'm glad that Briggs has taken it up in her Alpha and Omega book series, but I'm honestly not holding out for anymore books that focus on Mercy and her crew. I'm glad that it's coming to an end and hopefully the last book will maintain the same good quality as the ones that came before it.

Adam and Mercy go on a luxury camping honeymoon, and trouble and excitement follow, because nothing can be simple or boring in Mercy's life. River monsters, psycho otters, other shifters and Coyote show up to make things interesting.

I consider this the Mercy installment written for the romance fans. When I first read it in 2011, I felt like the pacing was awkward but overall appreciated and enjoyed the story, particularly the exploration of Mercy's heritage. Re-reading confirms the overall issues with the series Silver Borne/series review but it remains an enjoyable installment.

It begins with Mercy rescuing a male friend from himself, followed by pre-wedding jitters, encouraged by Mercy's mom now including butterflies and bI consider this the Mercy installment written for the romance fans. When I first read it in 2011, I felt like the pacing was awkward but overall appreciated and enjoyed the story, particularly the exploration of Mercy's heritage. Re-reading confirms the overall issues with the series Silver Borne/series review but it remains an enjoyable installment.

It begins with Mercy rescuing a male friend from himself, followed by pre-wedding jitters, encouraged by Mercy's mom now including butterflies and balloons. There's a wedding, and all the important men are there, along with Mercy's two sisters. Adam and Mercy then hitch up a camper and head to a private campground along the Columbia River where they have lots of tastefully alluded to sex in between eating hot dogs and going for runs. Mercy and Adam are innocently playing along the river when they discover an injured man in a boat. Not long after they pull his boat to shore, his family comes looking for him.

The setting for the book is lovely, with the affection for the area shining through. Mercy's narrative is interrupted by an alternate viewpoint dream sequence. Plotting is decent. The wedding and initial parts of the honeymoon were enjoyable, and a payoff for the ups and downs of their relationship. Mercy and Adam choose to fight the river creature because of altruism, not because someone is kidnapped (although it's noteworthy that a kidnapping helps engage Mercy's personal resolution to fight). One of the plot lines has to do with Mercy finding out more about her own heritage/history, moments that cause me mixed emotion out of amusement, enjoyment and eye-rolling that Briggs just couldn't resist the lure of the Super-Speshul-Snowflake. I enjoyed the inclusion of the Native American folklore, although I will note that it made me both a little uncomfortable that Native lore might be being co-opted and that everyone involved insisted on calling themselves 'Indian.' The villain was intimidating and creepy, and powerful enough that winning felt somewhat questionable.

As a complete aside, I'll just note here that there's a bit of obsession with going 'decently clothed,' although from book one, Mercy assures the reader she doesn't have any nudity hang-ups. It's just that now she's married to Adam. And she doesn't want anyone seeing his marvelous body either. I'll attribute this to the romance novel tradition, because I can't think why else we need to go on so much about states of undress if everyone's all copacetic about body image. I feel like Briggs' own issues are showing again.

Once again, almost every introduced is male, except for the villain, a trio of Native avatars, and one injured guy's wife in a hospital scene at the end.

Ms. Briggs, we need to talk.

Three and a half stars, rounding down because that's what I do for this series.

Next to Iron Kissed, I think this is the most emotional book for me. We get a LOT more time with just Mercy and Adam. A lot more insight into Mercy's heritage. And a lot more emotion throughout it all. I became very quickly attached to characters we just met, and love Adam and Mercy even more than I ever have.

Next to Iron Kissed, I think this is the most emotional book for me. We get a LOT more time with just Mercy and Adam. A lot more insight into Mercy's heritage. And a lot more emotion throughout it all. I became very quickly attached to characters we just met, and love Adam and Mercy even more than I ever have.

Original Review:Mercy's going crazy. And it's not the fae, wolves, or vampires that are scaring her this time.

It's her wedding. More specifically, planning it with her mother. Who apparently thinks doves, pigeons, and butterflies would be a wonderful addition to the day. She's ready to elope. The honeymoon should make up for it all though, and be just what she needs. Just her, Adam, a camper and no one for miles for ten days. Bliss.

Unfortunately things don't go quite as planned and when they find a person with his foot bit off, Mercy's suddenly thrust into a mystery that brings her into much closer contact with her own personal history.

I loved this book. Loved it. I think that most fans will either love it, or not like it. It takes us away from all the secondary characters that we love in the Tri-Cities for most of the book, and focuses on Adam and Mercy, and Mercy's roots.

For 5 books I've been waiting to get some more in-depth alone time with Mercy and Adam. I think that this book really solidifies what they are to and for each other and I love that they fit so perfectly.

We meet some new characters, and one, in particular, is a favorite. He's fabulous, funny, smart, and just a little bit crazy. And learning more about Mercy's past - things she didn't even know - is fun and extremely entertaining.

There is a thing with these books that bugs me a bit. It doesn't bug me until I'm finished, but it does bother me. Near the end, when Mercy and Adam are getting ready to fight the "big bad" Adam's always, ALWAYS, knocked out of the fight somehow. There's something that prevents him from being there to help - and mostly this is probably because he'd wipe the floor with anything that was trying to hurt Mercy and Mercy needs to be the one that saves the day/herself/others etc. I get that, and I like that Mercy saves the day, but I wish this could be handled a bit differently in the books. A good example is Kate and Curran - Curran (Magic Bites) is obviously stronger, but Kate's essential and strong too. They work together to get what needs to be done, done. Anyway. Like I said, a minor bother, but I did want to bring it up.

Great book though. Strong interpersonal relationships, strong mystery story-line (with some great emotionally charged moments) and fantastic characters. This continues to be one of my favorite series, and Patricia Briggs a favorite author....more

Patricia Briggs has this amazing ability to keep this series feeling fresh. Unlike other longer series (for example, the Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries) the plot lines never feel contrived or forced. River Marked is the epitome of Brigg's ability to tell a story that feels so real, despite the fantasy. When more is revealed about Mercy's background it seems authentic, not like Sookie's fairyblood, which seemed pulled out of Harris' ass. The new supernaturals fall flawlessly into their place in BrigPatricia Briggs has this amazing ability to keep this series feeling fresh. Unlike other longer series (for example, the Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries) the plot lines never feel contrived or forced. River Marked is the epitome of Brigg's ability to tell a story that feels so real, despite the fantasy. When more is revealed about Mercy's background it seems authentic, not like Sookie's fairyblood, which seemed pulled out of Harris' ass. The new supernaturals fall flawlessly into their place in Brigg's world because they flow from her great grasp of real myths and legends.

If that weren't enough to make these books truly special, the subplots actually advance in this series (shocking I know!). There isn't the constant will they/won't they. The continued growth and development of Mercy and Adam's relationship is one of the things that keeps bringing me back to these novels. And although there is always conflict or a challenge in the novels it seems to evolve naturally from the world and the character's position in that world....more

Mercy is back, sassier than ever and with her classic ability to find trouble literarlly anywhere

“I start to think he hates me, and he does something nice, like save my life or give me a cool pep talk”We meet some new enemies and allies, see old friends again~ all just a great big Tahitian love fest

I love how she thinks both saving her goddamn life and getting a pep talk are both nice things to do

“You quenched Lugh’s walking stick in the blood of an ancient Native American monstRiver Marked

Mercy is back, sassier than ever and with her classic ability to find trouble literarlly anywhere

“I start to think he hates me, and he does something nice, like save my life or give me a cool pep talk”We meet some new enemies and allies, see old friends again~ all just a great big Tahitian love fest

I love how she thinks both saving her goddamn life and getting a pep talk are both nice things to do

“You quenched Lugh’s walking stick in the blood of an ancient Native American monster?”“I screwed up?”

...um no? Nice Mercy, gotta make any situation worse—eh i’d do the same thing probably

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” I wailed miserably. “I didn’t want to almost die.”Hospital Mercy Back in Action. When he blames you for almost dying because he just pissed you fought without him, hahah I love Adam

“He lifted his head. “You are going to be the death of me.”I sucked in my breath. The sudden surge of fear I felt at that thought broke through the happy glaze I’d been enjoying. “Don’t say that. Adam, don’t let me do that.”“Shh,” he said. “I’m sorry. Don’t cry. It’s all right.” He rose to kneel beside me, wiping my cheeks with his thumbs.”

I love Adam so fucking much this character just ughh fuck yes so much love.

Long Live the Mercy Series (Seriously y’all imma fall apart when I finish, its gonna hurt like a motherfucker)...more

This wasn't my favorite book in the series but it was still a really good story. If you have been following my reviews you probably already know that I adore this series. I remember reading this book back when it was first released and enjoying it and I liked it just as much on this audio re-read. This is a series that I have made a point to keep up with and look forward to every installment. I had a lot of fun listening to the audioThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

This wasn't my favorite book in the series but it was still a really good story. If you have been following my reviews you probably already know that I adore this series. I remember reading this book back when it was first released and enjoying it and I liked it just as much on this audio re-read. This is a series that I have made a point to keep up with and look forward to every installment. I had a lot of fun listening to the audio of this story.

This story takes place away from most of the group and I have to say that I missed some of the characters that I have grown to love just a bit. Mercy and Adam are there for the whole book so I didn't have too much time to spend missing everyone else. Mercy and Adam are off on their honeymoon but they end up getting involved in a situation that needs their help. There are some interesting characters that are a part of this installment including some that knew Mercy's father.

This book had a lot of really good elements. I like how Mercy and Adam's relationship just keeps getting stronger. I really cannot get enough of these two and think that they are just perfect for each other. The chemistry between them is amazing. It was interesting to learn a little bit more about Mercy's background. Her father is really quite a mystery so getting the chance to learn a little bit more is really quite exciting. There was plenty of excitement in this installment. I mean there is a river monster to be battled so of course there is some excitement. This was the kind of book that you just don't want to put down.

Lorelei King does an amazing job with this audiobook. I really didn't expect anything else. She has done such a fantastic job with all of book in this series that I have listened to so far. She has become the voice of Mercy form me. She does a great job with a large cast of characters and brings a lot of emotion into the story. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to and she read the story at a very natural pace. I was able to completely lose myself in this book for hours at a time. I can't wait to listen to more of this series.

I would highly recommend this series to others. I do think that this is a series that really does need to be read in order since the relationships between the characters develop throughout the series. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of this series very soon.

Initial ThoughtsNot my favorite book in the series but still a really good story. Adam and Mercy are away for most of this book and I did kind of miss the rest of the regular group. Plenty of excitement in this installment.

Wow, I feel like this series needed this book at this point. If you've been aching for some quality Adam/Mercy time, you get it in spades! Most of this story is just the two of them, along with a few new secondary characters. There is a lot of romance, and not the uber sexy kind. Just good old loving and bonding between a couple that has very little face time in their every day life. Due to the enormous responsibility of Adam's position in the pack...and therefore Mercy's as well...they get miniWow, I feel like this series needed this book at this point. If you've been aching for some quality Adam/Mercy time, you get it in spades! Most of this story is just the two of them, along with a few new secondary characters. There is a lot of romance, and not the uber sexy kind. Just good old loving and bonding between a couple that has very little face time in their every day life. Due to the enormous responsibility of Adam's position in the pack...and therefore Mercy's as well...they get miniscule amounts of down time. I found it frustrating as to how little we readers get to see of them just being couple. But not any more. Even if this is the majority of romance for the rest of the series, I think it will be enough. It solidified how much they care for one another, but more importantly...how well they work as a team.

We also get a bit of a scare on both their parts as they receive a reality check on just how deeply their bond goes. It was quite beautiful. OF course there is a big baddie...and she is scary! Plus, Mercy's past comes back to literally haunt her.

As every, one of the BEST UF series available! Right up there with Kate Daniels in my opinion....more

I discovered this series when I read this book and that was it!!! I knew I was going to love reading Mercy Thompson’s adventures!!! And I do love this series!!! I am totally addicted!!

River Marked is the 6th book in the series and it’s quite different to the previous novels as it’s mostly set away from Mercy’s home and a whole new set of characters are introduced, which gives us more information about Mercy’s heritage.

Mercy & Adam are now married and mated and set off on their honeymoon to aI discovered this series when I read this book and that was it!!! I knew I was going to love reading Mercy Thompson’s adventures!!! And I do love this series!!! I am totally addicted!!

River Marked is the 6th book in the series and it’s quite different to the previous novels as it’s mostly set away from Mercy’s home and a whole new set of characters are introduced, which gives us more information about Mercy’s heritage.

Mercy & Adam are now married and mated and set off on their honeymoon to a secluded camp in the Columbia River area.

, looking forward to spending quiet and relaxing time together….but as we know, something is going to happen where Mercy is around…

There’s something in the river that is killing people and Mercy has some connection to the monster, named River Devil.

Between trying to discover the reason for the killings, she encounters a Native American tribe that knows something about her earlier life. She’s told the identity of her father…..a coyote walker who sees ghosts….

This is a fantastic adventure, filled with new revelations about Mercy and also something new about shape shifters..

I loved the chemistry between Mercy and Adam….

. They have a deep and strong connection –and let’s not speak about possessiveness….

I adore these two together…they suit each other perfectly!!!!!

I did enjoy learning about the Native American history, their myths and their customs…it was an added pleasure and hopefully we will see more of them in the next books.

Another well-written story with a great plot and fantastic addition of characters to this amazing fantasy world.

My favorite quote:

“All life is rife with possibilities. Seeds have possibilities, but all their tomorrows are caught by the patterning of their life cycle. Animals have possibilities that are greater than that of a fir tree or a blade of grass. Still, though, for most animals, the pattern of instinct, the patterns of their lives, are very strong. Humanity has a far greater range of possibilities, especially the very young. Who will children grow up to be? Who will they marry, what will they believe, what will they create? Creation is a very powerful seed of possibility.”

Even after five books, Briggs is able to keep the Mercy Thompson world fresh. I found that this book was very different from the others. It’s set in an entirely different place. No garage here, even though I kind of missed that. The Pack is set on the sidelines, while Mercy and Adam take centre stage and new characters are introduced. The newbies are very interesting because they are the first Native Americans we’ve encountered in this series apart from Mercy. River-Marked explores 4.5 STARS!!!

Even after five books, Briggs is able to keep the Mercy Thompson world fresh. I found that this book was very different from the others. It’s set in an entirely different place. No garage here, even though I kind of missed that. The Pack is set on the sidelines, while Mercy and Adam take centre stage and new characters are introduced. The newbies are very interesting because they are the first Native Americans we’ve encountered in this series apart from Mercy. River-Marked explores Mercy’s Native half and it was a natural change in the course of her life.

But things happen in Mercy’s life that make change inevitable. I thought that as Mercy entered a new phase in her life, her friends were also dealing with changes in theirs. Some are tragic like Stefan who is having trouble dealing with Marsilia’s betrayal while others are more trivial like Jesse trying to figure out ways to outsmart Darryl and let her go out on a date with Gabriel.

While the very beginning and the very end caught my attention, I thought it was a bit slow somewhere in the middle. All the Native stories were getting confusing after awhile. Also, Samuel is not in this one at all! There’s a brief mention of him, but I would have liked to read more about him. Certainly he hasn’t just dropped out of Mercy’s life after all that they’ve been through, no matter that Mercy is married to Adam now.

But my favourite part of the book has to be the letter Mercy wrote for Adam at the very end. It broke my heart! Mercy isn’t fond of expressing her feelings in words, so the fact that she took the time to sit down and do this makes it even more special. I just adore Adam and Mercy together. They’re so perfect!...more

There's an old proverb that goes something like, beware of what you wish for, for you may get it. So I wished (i.e., asked the publisher) for a copy of the upcoming Mercy Thompson book, Fire Touched. I got my wish, yay! And then I realized how many books are between book #5, where I was, and Fire Touched, book #9. Plus there's an Alpha and Omega book that, I've been reliably informed, absolutely needs to be read right after River Marked. So I'll be plowing through these books in the next few weeThere's an old proverb that goes something like, beware of what you wish for, for you may get it. So I wished (i.e., asked the publisher) for a copy of the upcoming Mercy Thompson book, Fire Touched. I got my wish, yay! And then I realized how many books are between book #5, where I was, and Fire Touched, book #9. Plus there's an Alpha and Omega book that, I've been reliably informed, absolutely needs to be read right after River Marked. So I'll be plowing through these books in the next few weeks! Luckily my library is well-stocked with this series.

Anyway. River Marked is the story that takes place mostly during Mercy's honeymoon, which starts off wonderfully and then goes south in a way that only Mercy's life can, with something very ancient, fearsome and hungry in the water. It's worse than Jaws for making you afraid to go in the water. A fair amount of Native American mythology--or Briggs' variation on it, anyway--is woven into the storyline, along with the usual suspects (werewolves, vampires and fae). There's a fascinating revelation about Mercy's father. And, briefly, about Max Schrek!

So once again I have to write something about a book in the Mercy Thompson world and I feel like anything I say would be redundant... I love the strongly influenced by the Native American culture of storytelling and mythology tale Patricia Briggs has gifted us with. I love the characters she has created and managed to enthrall us with. I love the creativity the world is build upon and the unobtrusive descriptiveness everything from the smallest action to the wildest character feature a *** 4 ***

So once again I have to write something about a book in the Mercy Thompson world and I feel like anything I say would be redundant... I love the strongly influenced by the Native American culture of storytelling and mythology tale Patricia Briggs has gifted us with. I love the characters she has created and managed to enthrall us with. I love the creativity the world is build upon and the unobtrusive descriptiveness everything from the smallest action to the wildest character feature are painted with... See, I know I am fan-girling and know not what to do about it - I just love this series!!!

This storyline was slower, more subdued, and singularly focused on Adam and Mercy spending time with each other as a new committed couple. Going camping in nature seems like a good idea at first, but obviously trouble keeps finding our part time coyote everywhere. Once again she has to save the day, and on the way she gets to learn more about her native American heritage and possibly her father... There is danger, love, friendships, and hidden agendas as always, expanding our understanding of Mercy's nature...

I recommend this book to all fans of the series and the Urban Fantasy genre. Happy reading to all!!! :-)...more

As much as I've loved reading every book so far in this series, it is about time that we got something like this one.

The old Mercy and Adam are back at it again but with sweeter, more tender moments between them that will make you melt. And while most of the pack wasn't present in this, it was okay because for once, this book is all about Mercy. Her heritage, her (finally) feeling like she belongs somewhere, and of course, her relationship with Adam and I couldn't of asked for more.

We got so muAs much as I've loved reading every book so far in this series, it is about time that we got something like this one.

The old Mercy and Adam are back at it again but with sweeter, more tender moments between them that will make you melt. And while most of the pack wasn't present in this, it was okay because for once, this book is all about Mercy. Her heritage, her (finally) feeling like she belongs somewhere, and of course, her relationship with Adam and I couldn't of asked for more.

We got so much that has been missing from the other books without even realizing it had been missing. We finally get the in depth took into what makes Mercy, Mercy and I couldn't of been happier about it. With an introduction to some new characters and lots of new surprises, this was a non-stop read from the exciting plot to the romantic moments.

A wonderful addition to the series that just might very well have been my favorite to date....more

4 "Who is Mercy Thompson?" Stars for the story and 5 Stars for the narration!

Six books into the series and the Mercy Thompson Series is still holding strong as one of my favorite PNR/UF romance series of all time. All that said, this wasn't my favorite book in the series. To me, this book almost read as a stand-alone with a somewhat different focus than the prior books in the series. In that regard, the main driver of the plot in this book was discovering Mercy's previously alluded to, but yet4 "Who is Mercy Thompson?" Stars for the story and 5 Stars for the narration!

Six books into the series and the Mercy Thompson Series is still holding strong as one of my favorite PNR/UF romance series of all time. All that said, this wasn't my favorite book in the series. To me, this book almost read as a stand-alone with a somewhat different focus than the prior books in the series. In that regard, the main driver of the plot in this book was discovering Mercy's previously alluded to, but yet to be explained real background. And while the shape shifter and American Indian lore was fascinating, it gave this book a slightly different feel than the others in the series which focus more on the werewolf packs, vampire and fae. Additionally, the setting of the story--Mercy's and Adam's honeymoon--removes them a bit from the usual cast of characters which also sets a different tone.

Lorelei King as always renders fantastic narration. Staying true to all of the multitude of voices that she has already created and performed in prior books, while also adding in a whole series of new ones. Ms. King's ability to convey the emotion and action of the scene is also highly instrumental in the enjoyment of this sixth installment in the Mercy Thompson Series.

I now understand people who are so blinded by their love of an author, they truly believe they can write no wrong (listen closely Lisa Kleypas fans) The eye rolling is over, I am officially capitulating and stand repentant... I am now one of you - with Patricia Briggs. I love everything about the way she writes. Her Mercedes Thompson series is humorous, suspenseful, touching, warm, scary, inventive, romantic - everything,4.5/5.0

*warning* a huge torrent of gushing admiration about to commence...

I now understand people who are so blinded by their love of an author, they truly believe they can write no wrong (listen closely Lisa Kleypas fans) The eye rolling is over, I am officially capitulating and stand repentant... I am now one of you - with Patricia Briggs. I love everything about the way she writes. Her Mercedes Thompson series is humorous, suspenseful, touching, warm, scary, inventive, romantic - everything, just everything I love in a story! Even with six of them now under her belt, the quality is never better.

In River Marked, Mercedes and Adam's relationship is given the much needed attention it deserves. Briggs ability to write a couple so real yet so sigh-worthy while keeping their animal natures in tact is incredible. They are both strong characters, allowed to be even stronger through their love for each other. The author's genius is even more apparent when considering this is done without the use of graphic sex scenes to bolster those emotions. While the plot-line of a water monster was not as riveting to me as others have been, the interest and page-turning suspense was still present right along with the touch of humor that makes Mercedes such a beloved character.

Okay, I finished this last night and I'm not going to do any type of in-depth review, but I wanted to get a few thoughts down. I think people will either love this book or feel a bit meh about it. The book is very much about two things: Adam and Mercy's relationship and Mercy's...biological roots. I think that the outside conflict of the "big bad" is instead used to support the development of those two stories, rather than being the driving force of the book. I enjoyed this.

This book contains aOkay, I finished this last night and I'm not going to do any type of in-depth review, but I wanted to get a few thoughts down. I think people will either love this book or feel a bit meh about it. The book is very much about two things: Adam and Mercy's relationship and Mercy's...biological roots. I think that the outside conflict of the "big bad" is instead used to support the development of those two stories, rather than being the driving force of the book. I enjoyed this.

This book contains a lot more lore--Indian lore, giving us (and Mercy) more insight into who she is and where she comes from. Readers who aren't into that might not enjoy this book.

On the whole, I appreciated that this was a further development of Mercy's character and her relationship with Adam, but some readers may have preferred that the author not focus on those elements and instead spotlight outside conflicts like in some of the previous books.

But, overall, this is a great installment in the Mercedes Thompson series and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

(and if you have an ounce of a romantic in your soul, you'll get a little misty-eyed at the very end part of the book, but I won't give it away!)...more

I don't understand why so many people liked this book so much less than the others. It's my absolute favorite so far. I love, love, LOVED it. I've always loved Native American Folklore though. But that's just me.

★★★★☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) This sixth installment of Mercy Thompson’s series is very well narrated by Lorelei King. Ms. King certainly has cemented her voice as Mercy’s in my brain and she delivers nicely for this first person narrative. Love her Italian accent for Stefan (a vampire), who features in the opening scenes of this volume. It has kind of a “I want to drink your blood…” cadence to it, but Ms. King totallyPicture of the Columbia River Gorge, by Doug Porter[image error]

★★★★☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) This sixth installment of Mercy Thompson’s series is very well narrated by Lorelei King. Ms. King certainly has cemented her voice as Mercy’s in my brain and she delivers nicely for this first person narrative. Love her Italian accent for Stefan (a vampire), who features in the opening scenes of this volume. It has kind of a “I want to drink your blood…” cadence to it, but Ms. King totally gets away with it.

Nevertheless, without giving away spoilers, this one is mainly about Adam and Mercy. We get to peer into a different, sweet, romantically intimate side of their relationship as they get even closer. They end up camping in the Columbia River Gorge area and eventually battling evil; (view spoiler)[ a creature that lurks beneath the water (hide spoiler)]. Mercy also gets some answers about her Native American Indian father she never knew.

This one is a little different; no mechanic’s shop, very little pack interaction. (Thanks goodness Jesse made a phone call to complain to her father about Darryl.) And the pace seemed slower to me, too, though Ms. Briggs always has a nice way of setting future scenes up without me even knowing it. So, it is a given that it must be read, if you’re planning on continuing this wonderful Urban Fantasy series that has a touch more romance this time around.

Anyone who has researched Patricia Briggs knows that she was strongly influenced by magic and fairy tales. This one is loaded with them, most of them Indian legends, and they are pretty neat.

I LOVE the Mercedes Thompson series!!!!!!!!! okay, so now that that's out of the way. Mrs. Briggs....you best bring my boy Stephan and his mystery machine back. or we gonna have a few issues.

*************************** after reading *******************************************STEFAN WAS BACK! not in a way i expected but yes he was indeed back. Thank you Ms. Briggs. This book was pretty good, I felt you could see more of Mercy and Adams relationship develop and how they've grown, and how Mercy hasI LOVE the Mercedes Thompson series!!!!!!!!! okay, so now that that's out of the way. Mrs. Briggs....you best bring my boy Stephan and his mystery machine back. or we gonna have a few issues.

*************************** after reading *******************************************STEFAN WAS BACK! not in a way i expected but yes he was indeed back. Thank you Ms. Briggs. This book was pretty good, I felt you could see more of Mercy and Adams relationship develop and how they've grown, and how Mercy has grown as a person and is not just impulsive but now thinks about the consequences of her actions. Pretty good book. ...more

I think that watching Adam and Mercy get married and have a honeymoon was great fun, especially since we all know Mercy can't go 5 minutes without a new enemy.

This time, the Fae are involved in their honeymoon plans, which can come to no good. But we get (for the first time) a bit of her Native American heritage here.

We learn about Mercy's father. We also see a lot of Coyote, the Coyote.

In this book, Mercy is up against an ancient river monster aI really enjoyed this latest Mercy Thompson book.

I think that watching Adam and Mercy get married and have a honeymoon was great fun, especially since we all know Mercy can't go 5 minutes without a new enemy.

This time, the Fae are involved in their honeymoon plans, which can come to no good. But we get (for the first time) a bit of her Native American heritage here.

We learn about Mercy's father. We also see a lot of Coyote, the Coyote.

In this book, Mercy is up against an ancient river monster and some Otterkin who are eating all the swimmers. The river monster can "mark" a human with her tentacles, and that person (now "river marked") follows her directions, whether it's drown yourself, drown your children, or bring her more people, they obey. And Mercy is the only one who can stop her.

The middle of the book is fairly slow, but the ending is great, and I loved seeing all the other gods like Coyote, and the ending is abrupt as always, but she had to use the walking stick of hers as a weapon. Giving a fae artifact blood is never a good idea. But I love how she handled it.

And hello Adam! I loved him, LOVED him in this installment-wish we'd seen more of him.

Overall another great installment in the Mercedes Thompson series, if a bit slow at times.

I'm sorry, this is going to come across as completely selfish but so be it, I didn't care what happened to anyone in this book EXCEPT Mercy & Adam. Saying that, the first 2/3 of the book involved a story I didn't care for with a group of people I cared less about. Yeah, I know, I'm a bitch. But I want Mercy and Adam, and I want them with the pack. So sue me, I'm selfish.

In longer urban fantasy series, a road trip is often involved, taking the characters away on a quest and away from their usual world. This one focuses mainly on Mercy and Adam. We delve more into Mercy’s heritage and the world of walkers. I adore Mercy and Adam as a couple but I found I missed some of the usual players. I feel happy for Mercy to have immersed herself in Native American magic as up til now she hasn’t had much information to work with.Next!

Most excellent! Going into River Marked I was very nervous. Especially when the wedding gets sped up and things happen lightening fast. A lot of fans won't agree with me, but at this point Mercy and Adam haven't gotten a lot of page time together. Most importantly when the stuff is going down Adam is always somewhere else, out of order, or something so that Mercy can save the day by herself.

Thankfully River Mark is the book where Mercy and Adam really get to interact. A lot of people have toldMost excellent! Going into River Marked I was very nervous. Especially when the wedding gets sped up and things happen lightening fast. A lot of fans won't agree with me, but at this point Mercy and Adam haven't gotten a lot of page time together. Most importantly when the stuff is going down Adam is always somewhere else, out of order, or something so that Mercy can save the day by herself.

Thankfully River Mark is the book where Mercy and Adam really get to interact. A lot of people have told me that they've known each other for 10 years and they don't need to have so much development time. But all of that happened before this series started and I didn't get to see it! That's off page development. When Mercy and Adam where together in previous books I enjoyed them together. There was heat, I saw them as a couple. But once they were mated and stuff I didn't think they had enough time to develop. The books are kind of small and there's a huge cast of characters that all get explored.

I loved seeing them exploring how to be together, how to fight and deal with when they should fight. Stuff like that. It made them feel like a real couple and for me the last book really took some shortcuts in developing characters. So it was bliss to see Mercy and Adam so fleshed out. I adore them together and look forward to them working together. (Maybe Adam won't be passed out next time and they really get to work together. Though if he gets “left behind” or stopped from helping Mercy again I'm going to be exasperated.)

Since Mercy and Adam leave the Tri-Cities that means there's not a lot of time for favorite side characters. But they are covered, so I don't think fans should gripe too much. River Marked helps to finally give some answers to Mercy's father and some other questions. Though I still ended up with a lot of questions about Mercy, a walkers powers, and so on. The Native American mythology is lovely and I love how well researched some of the places are. It was perfect. Not to mention how much I have longed to read Coyote in the Mercy verse. I knew he had to pop up! And yes. It was a glorious thing.

Not to mention how much I loved the monster. There is always something decidedly creepy-wrong about water monsters. River Devil is one of the scariest monsters I've read, definitely the scariest water monster, and I'm going to be hard pressed to read a scarier one!

In the end River Marked restored my faith in the series. Bringing back the character development that I NEED from this series. I am very curious which new characters may be coming back later. While the oldies didn't get much page time, the newbies are tons of fun and I loved them. Briggs is a champ at creating wonderful characters and I can't get enough of the ones she brings into the Mercy books. I'm really happy that this book helps to flesh out Mercy's heritage, even if it still leaves a ton of questions floating around. I loved the different feel of River Marked. Where there was only one bad guy and the book wasn't crammed with a ton of crazy mysteries and problems that Mercy has to solve. It was great getting a slower pace, though it's still a crazy rush of a read, and finally get the time to develop Mercy and Adam together. Even better together outside of the pack. I look forward to enjoying them as a married couple and can't wait to see what happens next! Trouble always finds Mercy.

Sexual Content: There are sex scenes but there the more classic fade to black, with a few “dirty” mentions. Wink Sexual humor and such.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a naLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans....more